When school lets out at 3:15 p.m. each day, hundreds of Franklin High School students stream out to cars, buses and nearby houses. They take home social worries, new knowledge and, this week, a little extra stress.

"A lot of students are really nervous, especially those in APs," said Teneah Rushen, the student body president. "You can't really rely on the subs."

Teachers are encouraging students to stick to a study schedule, she said, so the teenagers don't get behind. Advanced Placement tests are held at the beginning of May, regardless of days students or teachers have missed.

Junior Ruti Mgare said her teacher promised to email his AP students with a homework schedule ahead of the strike to help them stay on track. But she's nervous.

"I'm really dependent on the teachers," she said. "I'm not an 'A' student."

Mgare helps as a teachers assistant, and part of her job this week was to help her teacher take down posters and pack up personal belongings. The teachers seem really sad, she said. She heard from a friend that one teacher cried.

Both girls said their teachers have been careful not to discuss the strike with students beyond making preparations.

Christian Lovell is excited about not having school, he said. He does plan to keep up with his work, but likes the idea of doing it on his own time and in a setting more comfortable than at a school desk.

He said his physical education teacher seems noticeably irritated about the strike.

"He's making us run extra laps," the 14-year-old freshman said with a laugh.

The situation hasn't hit home for many in the younger grades yet, said Rushen, the student body president. Aside from some nervous seniors and AP students, the atmosphere inside the school hasn't changed much, she said. She expects the mood to shift next Wednesday if a deal isn't reached.

"We really do want the teachers to fight," she said. "People have to do what they have to do."